Living Presidents of the United States

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This is the list of all of the living people who have served as President of the United States at each moment in US history. Due to the line of succession outlined in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6 (1789), Amendment 20, Section 3 (1933) and Amendment 25, Section 1 (1967), there has never been a point where there is no acting United States President, meaning that from the point of death or resignation of one United States President, the powers of the office are immediately passed to his successor under US law.

Living US Presidents at each moment in US history
Start Date End Date Start Event End Event # alive Presidents
April 30, 1789 March 4, 1797 Inauguration of George Washington Inauguration of John Adams 1 George Washington
March 4, 1797 December 14, 1799 Inauguration of John Adams Death of George Washington 2 George Washington
John Adams
December 14, 1799 March 4, 1801 Death of George Washington Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson 1 John Adams
March 4, 1801 March 4, 1809 Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson Inauguration of James Madison 2 John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
March 4, 1809 March 4, 1817 Inauguration of James Madison Inauguration of James Monroe 3 John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
March 4, 1817 March 4, 1825 Inauguration of James Monroe Inauguration of John Quincy Adams 4 John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
March 4, 1825 July 4, 1826 Inauguration of John Quincy Adams Death of Thomas Jefferson 5 John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
July 4, 1826 July 4, 1826 Death of Thomas Jefferson Death of John Adams 4 John Adams
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
July 4, 1826 March 4, 1829 Death of John Adams Inauguration of Andrew Jackson 3 James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
March 4, 1829 July 4, 1831 Inauguration of Andrew Jackson Death of James Monroe 4 James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
July 4, 1831 June 28, 1836 Death of James Monroe Death of James Madison 3 James Madison
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
June 28, 1836 March 4, 1837 Death of James Madison Inauguration of Martin Van Buren 2 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
March 4, 1837 March 4, 1841 Inauguration of Martin Van Buren Inauguration of William H. Harrison 3 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
March 4, 1841 April 4, 1841 Inauguration of William H. Harrison Death of William H. Harrison 4 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William H. Harrison
April 4, 1841 April 4, 1841 Death of William H. Harrison Inauguration of John Tyler 3 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
April 4, 1841 March 4, 1845 Inauguration of John Tyler Inauguration of James K. Polk 4 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
March 4, 1845 June 8, 1845 Inauguration of James K. Polk Death of Andrew Jackson 5 John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
James K. Polk
June 8, 1845 February 23, 1848 Death of Andrew Jackson Death of John Quincy Adams 4 John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
James K. Polk
February 23, 1848 March 4, 1849 Death of John Quincy Adams Inauguration of Zachary Taylor 3 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
James K. Polk
March 4, 1849 June 15, 1849 Inauguration of Zachary Taylor Death of James K. Polk 4 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
James K. Polk
Zachary Taylor
June 15, 1849 July 9, 1850 Death of James K. Polk Death of Zachary Taylor 3 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
Zachary Taylor
July 9, 1850 July 9, 1850 Death of Zachary Taylor Inauguration of Millard Fillmore 2 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
July 9, 1850 March 4, 1853 Inauguration of Millard Fillmore Inauguration of Franklin Pierce 3 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
Millard Fillmore
March 4, 1853 March 4, 1857 Inauguration of Franklin Pierce Inauguration of James Buchanan 4 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
March 4, 1857 March 4, 1861 Inauguration of James Buchanan Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln 5 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
March 4, 1861 January 18, 1862 Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln Death of John Tyler 6 Martin Van Buren
John Tyler
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
January 18, 1862 July 24, 1862 Death of John Tyler Death of Martin Van Buren 5 Martin Van Buren
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
July 24, 1862 April 15, 1865 Death of Martin Van Buren Death of Abraham Lincoln 4 Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
April 15, 1865 April 15, 1865 Death of Abraham Lincoln Inauguration of Andrew Johnson 3 Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
April 15, 1865 June 1, 1868 Inauguration of Andrew Johnson Death of James Buchanan 4 Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
June 1, 1868 March 4, 1869 Death of James Buchanan Inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant 3 Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Andrew Johnson
March 4, 1869 October 8, 1869 Inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant Death of Franklin Pierce 4 Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
October 8, 1869 March 8, 1874 Death of Franklin Pierce Death of Millard Fillmore 3 Millard Fillmore
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
March 8, 1874 July 31, 1875 Death of Millard Fillmore Death of Andrew Johnson 2 Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
July 31, 1875 March 4, 1877 Death of Andrew Johnson Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes 1 Ulysses S. Grant
March 4, 1877 March 4, 1881 Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes Inauguration of James Garfield 2 Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
March 4, 1881 September 19, 1881 Inauguration of James Garfield Death of James Garfield 3 Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
James Garfield
September 19, 1881 September 19, 1881 Death of James Garfield Inauguration of Chester A. Arthur 2 Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
September 19, 1881 March 4, 1885 Inauguration of Chester A. Arthur Inauguration of Grover Cleveland 3 Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
Chester A. Arthur
March 4, 1885 July 23, 1885 Inauguration of Grover Cleveland Death of Ulysses S. Grant 4 Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
Chester A. Arthur
Grover Cleveland
July 23, 1885 November 18, 1886 Death of Ulysses S. Grant Death of Chester A. Arthur 3 Rutherford B. Hayes
Chester A. Arthur
Grover Cleveland
November 18, 1886 March 4, 1889 Death of Chester A. Arthur Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison 2 Rutherford B. Hayes
Grover Cleveland
March 4, 1889 January 17, 1893 Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison Death of Rutherford B. Hayes 3 Rutherford B. Hayes
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
January 17, 1893 March 4, 1897 Death of Rutherford B. Hayes Inauguration of William McKinley 2 Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
March 4, 1897 March 13, 1901 Inauguration of William McKinley Death of Benjamin Harrison 3 Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
William McKinley
March 13, 1901 September 14, 1901 Death of Benjamin Harrison Death of William McKinley 2 Grover Cleveland
William McKinley
September 14, 1901 September 14, 1901 Death of William McKinley Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt 1 Grover Cleveland
September 14, 1901 June 24, 1908 Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt Death of Grover Cleveland 2 Grover Cleveland
Theodore Roosevelt
June 24, 1908 March 4, 1909 Death of Grover Cleveland Inauguration of William H. Taft 1 Theodore Roosevelt
March 4, 1909 March 4, 1913 Inauguration of William H. Taft Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson 2 Theodore Roosevelt
William H. Taft
March 4, 1913 January 6, 1919 Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson Death of Theodore Roosevelt 3 Theodore Roosevelt
William H. Taft
Woodrow Wilson
January 6, 1919 March 4, 1921 Death of Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration of Warren G. Harding 2 William H. Taft
Woodrow Wilson
March 4, 1921 August 2, 1923 Inauguration of Warren G. Harding Death of Warren G. Harding 3 William H. Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren G. Harding
August 2, 1923 August 2, 1923 Death of Warren G. Harding Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge 2 William H. Taft
Woodrow Wilson
August 2, 1923 February 3, 1924 Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge Death of Woodrow Wilson 3 William H. Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Calvin Coolidge
February 3, 1924 March 4, 1929 Death of Woodrow Wilson Inauguration of Herbert Hoover 2 William H. Taft
Calvin Coolidge
March 4, 1929 March 8, 1930 Inauguration of Herbert Hoover Death of William H. Taft 3 William H. Taft
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
March 8, 1930 January 5, 1933 Death of William H. Taft Death of Calvin Coolidge 2 Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
January 5, 1933 March 4, 1933 Death of Calvin Coolidge Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt 1 Herbert Hoover
March 4, 1933 April 12, 1945 Inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt 2 Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
April 12, 1945 April 12, 1945 Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt Inauguration of Harry S. Truman 1 Herbert Hoover
April 12, 1945 January 20, 1953 Inauguration of Harry S. Truman Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower 2 Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
January 20, 1953 January 20, 1961 Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower Inauguration of John F. Kennedy 3 Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
January 20, 1961 November 22, 1963 Inauguration of John F. Kennedy Death of John F. Kennedy 4 Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
November 22, 1963 November 22, 1963 Death of John F. Kennedy Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson 3 Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
November 22, 1963 October 20, 1964 Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson Death of Herbert Hoover 4 Herbert Hoover
Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Lyndon B. Johnson
October 20, 1964 January 20, 1969 Death of Herbert Hoover Inauguration of Richard Nixon 3 Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Lyndon B. Johnson
January 20, 1969 March 28, 1969 Inauguration of Richard Nixon Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower 4 Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
March 28, 1969 December 26, 1972 Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower Death of Harry S. Truman 3 Harry S. Truman
Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
December 26, 1972 January 22, 1973 Death of Harry S. Truman Death of Lyndon B. Johnson 2 Lyndon B. Johnson
Richard Nixon
January 22, 1973 August 9, 1974 Death of Lyndon B. Johnson Inauguration of Gerald Ford 1 Richard Nixon
August 9, 1974 January 20, 1977 Inauguration of Gerald Ford Inauguration of Jimmy Carter 2 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
January 20, 1977 January 20, 1981 Inauguration of Jimmy Carter Inauguration of Ronald Reagan 3 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
January 20, 1981 January 20, 1989 Inauguration of Ronald Reagan Inauguration of George H. W. Bush 4 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
January 20, 1989 January 20, 1993 Inauguration of George H. W. Bush Inauguration of Bill Clinton 5 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
January 20, 1993 April 22, 1994 Inauguration of Bill Clinton Death of Richard Nixon 6 Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
April 22, 1994 January 20, 2001 Death of Richard Nixon Inauguration of George W. Bush 5 Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
January 20, 2001 June 5, 2004 Inauguration of George W. Bush Death of Ronald Reagan 6 Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
June 5, 2004 December 26, 2006 Death of Ronald Reagan Death of Gerald Ford 5 Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
December 26, 2006 Death of Gerald Ford 4 Jimmy Carter
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush

  • Statistically speaking, it has been most common to have three living United States Presidents (33.5% of the time), as this has occurred twenty-two times, most recently during the Presidency of Jimmy Carter. This is followed by two (17 times), four (16), five (7), one (6), and six (3).
  • There have been six men who have been the only living United States President, the first being George Washington from his inauguration to the inauguration of John Adams; the last being Richard Nixon, from the death of Lyndon B. Johnson on January 22, 1973 to his resignation on August 9, 1974.
  • At three points in United States history, there have been six men alive to have been United States President. The most recent period, the longest of the three at over three years, ended with the death of Ronald Reagan.
  • There have been nineteen Presidencies during which a United States President has not died, the most recent being the Presidency of George H.W. Bush. This does not not include the presidencies of William Henry Harrison, James A. Garfield, Warren G. Harding, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy, who were themselves the only United States Presidents to die during their presidencies. Conversely, only twice, during the Presidencies of Grant and Nixon, has there been as many as three during a Presidency. (Again, this does not count the presidency of Lincoln, whose death was the third during his term.) The longest streak of Presidencies without a Presidential death is four, as no United States President died during the terms of Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
  • Because of his serving 3+ terms, Franklin Delano Roosevelt holds the distinction of serving over the longest period of there being no Presidential deaths or changes. The only other United States President alive during his term was Herbert Hoover, whose Presidency had ended with a period of time when he was the only living United States President and who outlived Roosevelt by nearly twenty years.
  • The longest period between deaths of United States Presidents was 26 years, 6 months and 20 days, between the deaths of George Washington on December 14, 1799 and the death of Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1826. The shortest came immediately after the longest, in the approxmiately five hours between the death of Jefferson at around 12:50 PM and the death of John Adams at approximately 6:00 PM.[1] Ironically, neither Jefferson nor Adams knew the other had died on the same day, as Jefferson died first, and Adams, with his last breath, supposedly attempted to say, "Thomas Jefferson still survives," but died before he could finish the statement. [2]
  • Only three times, in 1826, 1862 and 1901, have two United States Presidents died in the same year. The first, mentioned above, was the only time two have died on the same day. The second, between the deaths of Tyler and Van Buren, happened 187 days apart, and the third, between Benjamin Harrison's death and McKinley's assassination, happened 185 days apart.
  • Harry S Truman died December 26, 1972, just 25 days before Nixon's second term began. Lyndon Johnson died on January 22, 1973, just two days after Nixon's second term began. They died only 27 days apart, yet in two different years and two different Presidential terms.

  1. ^ DiGregorio, William A. The Complete book of U.S. Presidents. New York: Barricade Books, 1994 (Fourth Printing). ISBN (Pbk.), pp 31 & 51.
  2. ^ Ibid., p 31

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